US Air Force ‘Hurricane Hunters’ fly into the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa | Watch

Dramatic visuals emerge as US plane flies into eye of Hurricane Melissa | Watch

Dramatic footage has emerged of a US Air Force aircraft from the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters,  flying straight into the eye of Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm barreling toward Jamaica.

Jamaican authorities have urged residents to seek higher ground, warning of a “potentially devastating impact,” as Prime Minister Andrew Holness described the approaching storm.

Defying the hurricane’s power, the Hurricane Hunters flew into the storm’s center, capturing stunning visuals of the rare “stadium effect,” a calm, circular space surrounded by towering cloud walls. The mission aimed to collect critical data for the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) as Melissa, the world’s strongest storm of 2025, approached Jamaica.

This footage from inside the eye of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa might be the most jaw-dropping video ever captured of a hurricane’s eye, showcasing the infamous “stadium effect." pic.twitter.com/AEhj2g2Ban

— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) October 27, 2025

A thread of videos from today’s flight into Hurricane Melissa

In this first one we are entering from the southeast just after sunrise and the bright arc on the far northwest eye wall is the light just beginning to make it over the top from behind us. pic.twitter.com/qGdpp7lbCN

— Tropical Cowboy of Danger (@FlynonymousWX) October 27, 2025

Storm chaser Tanner Charles, featured by CNN and BBC, also posted striking images of the hurricane.

Melissa packed winds of up to 175 mph (282 kph) on Monday, threatening to become the strongest hurricane ever recorded in Jamaica. Classified as “catastrophic,” it was expected to strike Jamaica late Monday or early Tuesday, then cross Cuba and move toward the Bahamas by Wednesday, the NHC said.

Forecasters warned that the storm’s slow pace over unusually warm waters had amplified its size and strength, bringing up to three feet of rain and a storm surge of up to 13 feet. Airports, ports, and key infrastructure near sea level faced severe risk.

Following evacuation orders in southern Jamaica, including historic Port Royal, Holness appealed for international support. Despite warnings, some residents resisted leaving, fearing looting.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Holness said.

At least three people have died in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, while Jamaica has reported three deaths. More than 50,000 homes were without power as landslides and downed lines were reported ahead of landfall.

No storm of Category 4 or higher has made landfall in Jamaica in 174 years of record-keeping. Hurricane Gilbert hit in 1988 as a Category 3, while Hurricanes Ivan and Beryl reached Category 4 but missed the island.